Tshwane unveils mobile science labs [ITWeb]

The City of Tshwane aims to encourage innovation and e-skills access throughout the region's townships with the launch of 14 new labs that will be based at different schools.

This is according to Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC for economic development, who was speaking at the launch of the Kusile mobile science labs to encourage innovation and e-skills development at underprivileged schools across the region.

Dubbed FabLabs, the facilities will be geared towards the production of small-scale prototypes and designs as well as teaching learners and community members to use design software and equipment for innovative purposes.

Maile says the Innovation Hub – which collaborated with the City of Tshwane to develop the new labs – will retain hands-on involvement in the project by distributing new labs to new areas to allow more students to use the facility.

"The city needs to find ways of getting its existing technology initiatives such as free WiFi to complement its new developments like the Kusile labs," he says, adding that improving access to ICTs is important to enable the youth to "participate in yet economy".

He said new Gauteng premier David Makhura would further outline plans to use technology for youth development in his first State of the Province Address on Friday. The City of Tshwane has announced (../index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66605:Free-WiFi-coming-to-Tshwane) a partnership with Project Isizwe (http://projectisizwe.org/), a non-profit organisation aimed at bringing free Internet to Africa, which will see free WiFi being rolled out across the city.

Maths, science boost
City of Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa says mathematics and science education are priorities for the city and province, with the labs also aimed at encouraging uptake of the subjects crucial to the ICT sector.

Although more than 700 000 matriculants wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations last year, the number of mathematics and science students declined over the past few years, according to an analysis report compiled before results were released across SA.

The report says more than 48% of NSC candidates wrote maths in 2010, but the figure dropped to 42% last year. Similarly, science students dropped from 38% of all candidates in 2010 to 32% last year.